The ATF’s National Firearms Reference Collection in Martinsburg is a law enforcement vault used for identification, tracing and classification, not a public museum.
Not open to the public: An ATF law-enforcement reference collection at its Martinsburg facility, not open to visitors.
Our notes
ATF’s National Firearms Collection is a reference collection, not a museum. It holds more than 10,000 items, including rare prototypes, first-run samples, failed industry designs and a firearms and ammunition reference library, and it is used by ATF’s firearms technology staff in West Virginia.
It is listed here for its history; there is no public gallery.
Timeline
- 1931 Collection first compiled by the Bureau of Internal Revenue
- 1934 National Firearms Act adds NFA items to federal oversight
- 1972 Collection transferred to the new ATF
- 1980s Moved to West Virginia
Plan your visit
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Nearby on the guide
More history: All firearm museums · West Virginia guide
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